February 01, 2022
Source/New Jersey State Police
Jonathan Morris, 23, of Bridgeton, New Jersey was fatally shot in the hours after he left work Thursday. Miguel Perez, 21, has been charged with murder and related offenses, New Jersey State Police said.
A South Jersey man has been charged with murder for allegedly fatally shooting Jonathan Morris, the 23-year-old Bridgeton man who went missing late last week.
Miguel Perez, 21, of Bridgeton, was arrested at his home and charged with murder, weapons offenses, desecration of human remains, evidence tampering, receiving stolen property and related offenses, New Jersey State Police said Tuesday.
Morris went missing after he had completed a work shift Thursday in Sicklerville and was out driving his mother's BMW, police said. Family members last saw Morris in a Snapchat post around 1 a.m. Friday, but they were unable to trace his location after that point.
Morris's body was found covered in snow about 15 feet from the roadway along Archie Pratt Road in Hopewell Township, which neighbors Bridgeton, investigators said. State police found his car suspiciously abandoned on the road.
Perez allegedly shot and killed Morris inside the BMW and then drove to Archie Platt Road, where police say he discarded the body and abandoned the car. Perez then went to a residence on Cottage Avenue and attempted to dispose of evidence, investigators said.
Police did not reveal a suspected motive for the shooting.
Family members spent the last three days searching for Morris and any clues that might explain what happened to him. His aunt, Corinth Pernell, described him as "a gentle giant" in an interview with the Vineland Daily Journal.
"We love him so much. He's just there for everybody. So, it's just hard to put all this together," Pernell said. "He wouldn't bother nobody. So, for something to happen to him is just sickness. It really is."
A GoFundMe campaign to support Morris' family has raised more than $10,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.
Perez is being held at the Cumberland County Jail.
The case remains an active investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact New Jersey State Police Detective Jacob Schor or Detective Sergeant George Auge at (856) 451-0101 or submit a tip to the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office.
